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Sandhya Ganesh secures JHU grant to foster student dialogue
The funding will support a student-led program using dance and comedy to explore culture, identity, and tradition on campus.
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Staff Reporter - Mon, 09, Feb 2026
- 16:39 EST
- 16
Sandhya Ganesh / LinkedIn
Johns Hopkins University awarded funding to a student-led initiative that uses performance and humor to encourage dialogue on culture and identity.
Ha Ha Hasya: Exploring Tradition and Identity Through Dance and Comedy, led by Sandhya Ganesh, a senior at Johns Hopkins, is among six proposals selected under the university’s inaugural Student Blue Jay Dialogue Innovation Fund, eligible to receive up to $10,000.
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The proposal examines how humor, dance, and performance can function as tools for cultural dialogue and self-reflection. Planned activities include short dance and comedy performances, opportunities for audience participation, a question-and-answer panel, and breakout discussion groups.
According to the university, the sessions are intended to help participants reflect on identity, reassess established traditions, and engage with differing perspectives.
Shakti, the university’s competitive Indian classical dance group and the Stand Up Comedy Club have both co-sponsored the proposal. Ganesh is an active member of both the groups.
JHU Shakti specializes in Bharatanatyam, a classical South Indian dance form. The group regularly performs at campus and regional events and is known for using narrative-driven choreography to explore cultural and social themes. As a co-sponsoring organization, Shakti is supporting the initiative’s aim of using performance as a structured medium for dialogue.
The Student Blue Jay Dialogue Innovation Fund supports student-run projects that promote respectful discussion across differing viewpoints and requires proposals to be co-sponsored by at least two registered student organizations, research groups, or departmentally supported student programs.
The fund is administered by the Center for Social Concern, which also provides recipients with training in constructive dialogue, budgeting, and event planning.
The university received 36 proposals representing 119 students in this funding round. Projects may span one or two semesters and were evaluated based on their commitment to addressing multiple perspectives and promoting active engagement.
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